The present invention relates to the field of paper napkin dispensers, and more particularly, is directed to a device for preventing napkins from bunching at the dispensing opening.
A conventional napkin dispenser comprises a housing with at least one compartment for receiving a stack of napkins and a face plate having a dispensing opening. Each stack of napkins is fed forwardly by a spring biased follower plate which maintains the stack in pressure contact with the face plate and dispensing opening. As napkins are pulled from the dispenser, the follower plate advances the napkin stack forward until the supply of napkins is exhausted. While napkin dispensers of this type have the virtue of simple and economical manufacture, they have proved inefficient in practical applications.
One of the major disadvantages of napkin dispensers of the type described above has chiefly to do with the problem of napkins bunching at the dispensing opening. When bunching occurs, there is a tendency for the user to grasp and remove the entire group of bunched napkins, wastefully discarding what is not used. In fast food restaurants, cafeterias and the like, where there are large numbers of users, the cost of wasteful use of napkins is very high.
Bunching is believed to occur as a result of the high level of pressure exerted by the dispenser face plate on the napkin stack. When a napkin is pulled from the dispenser, there is a tendency for the next several napkins to be displaced as well due to the friction between them caused by the pressure. The problem becomes progressively worse as more napkins are pulled from the dispenser, thus leading to a bunching condition. When bunching occurs, it is difficult to pull a single napkin from the dispenser without tearing. Thus, the user will likely remove the entire group of bunched napkins and discard what is not needed.